Rays, ICE enforcement take center stage at State of the Bay

Part 1 of 2.

The annual State of the Bay forum kicked off Tuesday evening with two topics dominating local and national discourse: A new home for the Tampa Bay Rays and increasingly deadly immigration operations.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector discussed those and several other issues at the event, organized by the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club and held at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. Moderator Joe Hamilton, publisher of the Catalyst, began by asking for their thoughts on the latest chapter in a decades-old Rays stadium saga.

Welch called plans to open the 2029 season in a ballpark across the bay “extremely aggressive,” particularly in light of a reportedly $2.3 billion initial cost estimate. Castor said negotiations between her city, Hillsborough County, the Tampa Sports Authority and the team are “progressing,” and she is “very hopeful that it’s going to work out.”

“We have always said that we wanted to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that happens,” Castor added. “But there is definitely a line of what that means, financially. So, more to come on that.”

Castor then credited Welch for being an “incredible partner.” She said no other mayor has “come as close to getting that deal done,” and “he can’t control a hurricane.”

Welch noted the team would return to Tropicana Field – thanks to his administration’s storm-repair efforts – in April and spend at least three more years in St. Petersburg. He also reprised his “marriage” analogy and said the new ownership group “has been very straightforward” in their desire to build a new ballpark in Tampa.

“There’s a way to end this relationship in a way that builds relationships going forward,” Welch said. “The Rays know they still need a million folks on this side of the bay to come over to where the new stadium is. I do think this community is owed something for the promises that were made.”

Welch added that he has conveyed that sentiment in conversations with the Rays. In addition, a potential Major League Baseball player lockout looms in December that could extend the team’s lease at the Trop.

Either way, Welch remains open to a “reasonable extension that makes sense” for St. Petersburg and Pinellas County residents. However, his focus is on “turning those 86 acres into jobs, housing and economic opportunities, and honoring the promises that were made when I was much younger at Lakewood High School in the 1980s.”

Rector, foreshadowing a later topic, said the issue underscores the importance of regional collaboration. The Rays do not belong to any of the three cities; they are “Tampa Bay’s team.”

Clearwater Beach is the area’s largest tourism development tax generator, and Rector endorsed a previous proposal that would have contributed $700 million to a new stadium. While that ultimately failed, he supports a move to Tampa “because it’s very important to the region for us to have that team.”

ICE

At least eight people have died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since Jan. 1. The recent, high-profile shootings of two U.S. citizens have rocked the nation.

Hamilton asked the mayor how they would respond to an influx of ICE officers in their cities. Rector said he wants to support local officers, who are often “drawn into” disputes, “in every way possible.”

“Whatever the political issue, whatever side you are on, I don’t want to see our local Clearwater police department put in a bad spot,” he continued. “There’s a fine line between exercising your First Amendment rights and harassment.”

Welch recognizes that many residents are “so disturbed by the murders” that they “don’t want any connection with ICE, whatsoever.” He also noted that the governor forced local agencies to comply with Florida’s 287 (g) agreement, which does not require active participation in immigration enforcement.

Local officers are not taking related training and will only perform secondary roles, Welch said. “Having said that, what we saw in Minneapolis is just wrong. Period.”

“It’s gone too far – even saying that you can enter homes without a warrant,” Welch added. “It’s unconstitutional, and so that is not anything we support in St. Pete.”

Castor, a former police chief with 31 years on the force, said an officer’s authority is “derived through the trust of the community.” She also believes that Americans can agree on deporting people who enter the country illegally and subsequently commit crimes.

“In the data that I have seen, over 70% of the people who have been deported have no criminal record,” Castor said. “So, you’re looking at individuals who want to come to our country for the same reason our ancestors came to this country. In most cases, to make a better life for them and their families. And I think that’s something we can all support.”

“We have got to, as a nation, come to an agreement on what is acceptable and what isn’t.”

Next: Part 2 will highlight additional topics, including regionalism, property taxes, smart growth and artificial intelligence.